Novels of Manner: Evelina and Pamela, Compared and Contrasted Anonymous 12th Grade

The birth of the novel occurred in in 1719, with the publication of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This literary form quickly became the most accessible and enjoyable style; therefore, novels began being published rapidly. With nothing for comparison and no pre-issued sets of standards, early novels often had no chapters, spelling errors (the first dictionary was not published until 1755), and no set length or format. As a result, there were many experimental formats going on in the mid-to-late 1700s. One of the most popular form to arise during this period of uncertainty was the epistolary novel.

An epistolary novel is a novel that takes the form of written correspondence between the characters within a story. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, there are several advantages to this style of novel. First of all, it allows a clear view of what multiple characters are thinking and feeling because the reader is not limited to one point-of-view of focal point. It also allows the reader a more in-depth and broad look at the story itself—the reader is able to see more than one side to every event that occurs (“Epistolary Novels”). Although this particular format of the novel lost popularity in the Nineteenth Century and...